NHL Stanley Cup lets all 26 teams from the National Hockey League (including the expansion Florida Panthers and Anaheim Mighty Ducks) compete for the highest honor in professional hockey, Lord Stanley's Cup. Although real players' names aren't used in the game, each team has strengths and weaknesses that correspond to their NHL counterparts. You can substitute for or pull your goalie and institute line changes as you see fit. Gameplay modes consist of Exhibition, Season and Best of Seven Series. Options include three different period lengths (5, 10 or 20 minutes) and having the penalties and line changes turned on or off.

This game mimics real ice hockey in that you can shoot, pass or dump the puck, and you can perform hip, shoulder and poke checks. You can even fake a slap shot and aim your shot on goal to a particular corner of the net. Hockey is an overtly brutal sport, and this game reflects that, but there are numerous penalties that you can commit, including tripping, cross checking, slashing, roughing, hooking, interference, icing and offsides.

A special Mode 7 viewpoint gives you a three-dimensional perspective that helps you keep your eyes focused on the puck, the center ice and the surrounding action. Battery backup lets you save your progress throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. Other features include season and game statistics, three difficulty levels (Junior, NHL and NHL} Pro, and the ability to skip games against particular opponents. After the end of each game, a sportscaster will give you a complete wrap up of the action.